Menu Planning Evolution

Okay, I gave you my rationale for doing this in a previous post, and also an example of one of my first official attempts at menu planning.  Well, now that our vacations are over, and baby #2 is due in less than 10 weeks, it's time to refine the system and get back on the menu-planning wagon.  This time, I added two snacks per day to the calendar.  I also made sure that lunch is Luke-friendly, as I was getting entirely too frustrated with creating lunches on the fly, and would be disheartened when Luke would refuse whatever I put together for him.  I also realized I needed to balance the nutritional content, and not provide Cheerios for lunch on a day when oatmeal was for breakfast.  Simple stuff, right?

So, without further ado, here is a new version of the Kelly Family Menu Planning Calendar:

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
B: bagels L: quiche S: n/a D: salad & skewers S: ice cream	B: cereal, OJ & coffee L: salmon salad with fruit salad S: trail mix & animal crackers D: jambalaya S: cheesecake	B: scrambled eggs with toast L: jambalaya with apple slices S: smoothie D: turkey burgers with sweet potato fries S: cheesecake	B: English muffins L: salmon salad with berry yogurt S: Rita’s water ice D: leftovers S: sherbet	B: smoothies L: turkey rollups with fruit salad S: yogurt & granola D: salmon with cous cous and spinach S: ice cream	B: cereal L: grilled cheese & tomato soup with apple & peanut butter S: trail mix & animal crackers D: takeout or leftovers S: fruit salad	B: cereal L: BBQ at Bellmawr Lake S: munchies at lake D: BBQ leftovers S: ice cream
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
B: omelet with bacon & toast L: S: D: frozen pizza S: sherbet	B: smoothies L: pita & hummus with cheese and apple slices S: berry jello D: tuna casserole S: muffins	B: cheesy egg scramble with toast L: PBJ & watermelon S: banana & chocolate pieces D: enchiladas S: muffins	B: cereal L: tuna salad muffins & apple sauce S: muffins D: leftovers S: banana splits	B: English muffins L: egg salad & berry yogurt S: hummus with crackers D: hot dogs with beans & baked potato S: brownies	B: bagels with cream cheese L: PBJ & apple sauce S: Madhavi’s birthday cake D: take out S: brownies	B: french toast casserole with bacon L: breakfast leftovers S: D: BBQ S: pie

Shopping List
Meats	Produce	Breads	Frozen	Canned	Grocery	Dairy	Misc.
bacon hot dogs 1 lb sausage	apples spring onions 3 tomatoes spinach pineapple strawberries blueberries watermelon canteloupe red leaf lettuce bananas potatoes green pepper red pepper celery	2 multigrain burger buns	spinach berries frozen pizza ice cream pie peas corn	2 small salmon baked beans clams diced tomatoes	Weetabix teriyaki sauce jello tomato soup trail mix egg noodles muffin mix  chocolate sauce instant rice granola	2 cream cheese	block cheese sliced cheese sliced turkey sliced ham hummus